LIFE IN A PRISON CAMP.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 425, 6 February 1909, Page 8

LIFE IN A PRISON CAMP.

« . WORK AND RECREATION. . ; v (BT- TELpttirU—Sl'EC'l AL- COIUtBSI'bJtDINI.I ' ■'• : -i,' :■' "-. Christohuroh, February 4. ....'lheinen who; for their siiis or- misfortunes are giving compulsorily free service to ~the country at Hanmer prison- camp are engaged in the. production o ran artificiarforest. : The ■camp; is- Vvery"ancient:- establishment, but tor all that, writes-a - "Press". repre:sen--tative, ; who, lately visited 'Haniiieiv.the.face pf the country has been completely changed r by. the process of tree-planting. .The site of the camp is perhaps, a little over, two miles from the township, the road winding-and undulating .through most 'attractive'-■•■'country. Iho, .prisoners are. at: work..- during the' day; but after the evening. meal they are allowed opportunities; for recreation. Certain boundaries- are defined and .'to these limits the pri;s.oners,may go, ;bnt to further. TheSaturdaj afternoons .are "days off,"/ and the time' is beguiled,with.cricket matches against: any team.scratchor-organised/.which may evince ■a'desire to.try conclusions. . 'On Sundays there are-church-services, and the day' is , spent in the restful fashion approved by j a paternal; State.-;, The. men's huts'are, on the whole,-models'!of cleanliness and neatness. ■Each .accommodates. two' men, and::the"occupants appear.te-combine to yie with the men in the other, huts ,iii, the matterof de- ■ corations;V Somo-.;of .the walls are- almost covered, .with; pictorial cuttings and:' post- : -cards-.,..(-. lhere,.,-is" an '-• "Australian" : -Aare tenanted by two sons of the Commonwealth who display ."Advance Australia". - -emblais- .: oned on-a.-banneri as their:chief decoration" lliere is-a!;!'Maori wHaro" occupied: by two Natives, in, which the pictorial trimmings are intensely, early New Zealand in. character Another whare is used as a library and rea'd-mg-room, and still another as a billiardroom. The billiard table: is a very: ingeni-ously-constructed affair,. and it is said that some_niaryellous breaks have been made on it. . J.he; table was ,the invention of two young Maoris., The actual industrial side of the camp is represented by the. cook shop, the blacksmith's shop, and the bootmaker's shop, ihe bootmaker is a yoimg fellow who learned;the trade as a hand-working bootmaker, turns out a hand-made boot, watertight, strongly made,-, and emincnth' f uit< ;« for men. engaged in-field pursuits. The smithy is also in charge-of an expert. The cookiis an artist in his line. There are only .Jl/prisoners-in the camp at present, though there is accommodation for more than double that number. ~:■ , :■ :, , ;, .-.